Missouri softball looking to rebound under new coach in 2019

Daniel Jones @daniel_m_jones

Thursday

Feb 7, 2019 at 5:16 PMFeb 7, 2019 at 5:16 PM

At a practice this past fall, Missouri’s new softball coach Larissa Anderson introduced her squad to one of her favorite drills: 21 consecutive outs, perfect fundamentals, no errors. One mistake and the count goes back to zero.

“It’s creating that pressure environment,” Anderson said. “You’ll see, when they get around 18, 19, they start to squeeze the ball a little more because they are waiting for that 21.”

“Fundamentally perfect” has been a theme so far during Anderson’s brief tenure at Missouri, which began when she was hired last May. It will get its first test Friday in the Tigers’ season opener against Utah in Tempe, Arizona. Their home opener will be on March 15 against Georgia.

Anderson, who previously coached at Hofstra, took the reins at one of the Southeastern Conference’s most dynamic programs — the Tigers have ranked in the top 20 nationally in attendance for the last three seasons and made it to the NCAA Super Regionals or further eight times between 2008-16 — but Missouri’s 2018 season was like a dinghy in a squall.

Two weeks before the season, athletic director Jim Sterk fired coach Ehren Earleywine, one of the most successful coaches in the history of Missouri athletics but also one of the most controversial. His fiery antics wore on leadership, and in the final two years of his tenure a number of impact players (including many of Missouri’s best pitchers) transferred out of the program.

The lack of pitching depth was an issue that interim coach Gina Fogue fought throughout 2018. Despite finishing in the top half of the SEC in batting average, slugging percentage, hits and home runs, Missouri struggled to a regular season record of 28-27.

The Tigers were last in the SEC in earned run average and opposing batting average by a wide margin and finished with the league’s worst conference record, making them the only SEC team to not qualify for the 12-team SEC Tournament. (They did qualify for the NCAA Tournament but did not make it out of the regional round and finished the year at 30-29.)

Even more painful was the fact that Missouri was hosting the SEC Tournament at its sparkling new stadium, an honor it isn’t scheduled receive again until 2027.

“Anyone who experienced that last year realizes how sucky that was,” infielder Kolby Romaine said. “We don't want to do that again.”

Now the Tigers face a different conundrum. The penalties handed down by the NCAA last week include a postseason ban for 2019, which would again make Missouri ineligible for the SEC Tournament. Sterk is optimistic the Tigers’ appeal process will at least earn a stay for the ban, which would allow Missouri to participate while the appeal is ongoing.

But that is an issue out of the hands of Anderson and her squad. Being fundamentally perfect? That’s an aspect they control.

“She means business, and I think that is really good for us,” said outfielder Cayla Kessinger.

Anderson said she made the 21-out drill easier on the team in the fall. She won’t be as easy on them in the spring.

“I’ll play it at practice and I’ll say, ‘This could take 15 minutes or this could take two hours. It’s gonna be up to you,’” Anderson recalled about her time at Hofstra. “There’s been times that I wanted to do it for a very short period of time and that was all we ended up doing at practice that day.”

Missouri’s roster underwent major unexpected changes this offseason. Amanda Sanchez, Rylee Pierce and Braxton Burnside, three position players who combined for 157 starts last year, all transferred out of the program. Sanchez took a mighty bat with her after hitting .374 with 12 home runs and 37 RBIs.

In January, the Tigers confirmed that Danielle Baumgartner — one of their top bullpen arms — had been removed from the program. Lauren Rice, who posted a 12-15 record with a 3.25 ERA in 35 appearances last season, transferred to Ohio State. That leaves Nalani Scates, Eli Daniel and Madi Norman as Missouri's only returning pitchers.

Norman returns the most experience, having started 23 games last year with a 9-8 record and 3.63 ERA. Missouri also has incoming transfers Baleigh Koester (Missouri Baptist) and Kendal Judge (Oklahoma State), who could provide additional depth or edge their way into the starting rotation.

“You’re gonna see everybody. We’re gonna pitch by committee because we don’t have that dominant horse that’s gonna see double-digit strikeouts,” Anderson said. “If we get that, that’s gonna be great. But they know going in that it’s going to be by committee.”

How the Tigers refill other positions remains to be seen, but freshmen and incoming transfers might have a big role there, too:

Kimberly Wert is a sophomore who followed Anderson from Hofstra and could replace Sanchez at third base or get looks as the designated hitter.Freshman Jazmyn Rollin was one of just 28 collegiate players invited to 2019 USA Softball Junior Women’s National Team Selection Trials and has a chance to start on the infield.Kendyll Bailey of Grain Valley was a highly-touted freshman infielder last year who redshirted after suffering a season-ending injury.Kara Decker could get a look at the starting job at first base after batting .244 in 24 games last year as a freshman.

The Tigers will return centerpieces in outfielder Regan Nash, who batted .321 and had 19 stolen bases last year; Kessinger, who hit .312 with 10 doubles and 10 home runs; and Romaine, who hit .319 and had 25 RBIs.

Throughout all the turmoil of the last 12 months, Nash said, Anderson’s influence has been a calming one.

“I’ve had three head coaches in my four years, so this is actually where I feel the most stable,” Nash said. “I’m just really excited to see what we can do.”

djones@columbiatribune.com

573-815-1787

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